Engagement
by GearUnlocked
Summary: AU. Shortly after the school festival and the rendition of Romeo and Juliet, Raku Ichijō encounters new problems, with secrets ready to burst out. Starting with a new bodyguard and the discovery of a new key, follow him and his group of friends as they conquer these troubles and find true love in a false world. Rated T for language.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes**

**- **Hey, everyone! I'd like to welcome you all to _Engagement_, a new Nisekoi fanfiction! I hope you all enjoy this story and I'll see you at the end! Don't forget to leave a review of what you think, that's appreciated! See ya at the end.

* * *

**Engagement**

**Chapter 1 – Prologue, After**

* * *

"Bocchan, welcome home!" the many members of the Shūei Clan greeted me in unison as I entered the room. The many smiles and scars on their faces made me despise their presence as they waved towards me with happiness.

_Right… I forgot that I live with these guys._

I let out a sigh and dropped my schoolbag to the floor. Today was the day of my school's festival and I played a huge part in a play conducted by my class. I played the part of Romeo in a comedic improvisation of the play. Originally, Juliet was supposed to be played by Kosaki Onodera, but after her… injury in a heroic act in saving a fellow classmate from doom, the part went to Chitoge Kirisaki, who was in the midst of being pissed off at me. But in the end, we cleared things up and the play went… smoothly.

My name is Raku Ichijō. I'm the son of a yakuza boss and the next heir to the Shūei Clan. I'm a first-year at high school and I currently have a 'girlfriend', as you would publically put it. Her name is Chitoge Kirisaki and she's the heir to the Shūei Clan's rivals – the Bee Hive Gang. To put an end to the violence the idiots of each gang will cause to one another, we've become a 'couple', but it isn't anything real.

The one and only way to end the bitter rivalry between two dangerous gangs? Have the heirs to each gang become boyfriend and girlfriend, even if it's false love.

I have one goal in life – and that's to find the girl I made a promise to ten years ago during the summer. I've already cracked it down to between two girls – Chitoge Kirisaki and Kosaki Onodera. All I have to remember the promise by is a broken locket and the key that the girl has. As I was getting so close to finding out the true owner of the key was who would unlock my locket, disaster struck.

Recently I found out that I have a fiancé. Apparently she's also the girl that I made that promise with, but that's still to be dubbed true. Although… there are many signs and physical evidence through a photo from that day that labeled her as the promise girl. But since then, I've been holding feelings for Kosaki Onodera.

Kosaki Onodera… she's the ideal girl that any guy would want to marry. She's hot, beautiful, nice, and she smells so sweet. I met her in junior high and ever since then, my heart always pounds when I'm with her.

Marika Tachibana, also known as my fiancé. She suddenly popped into my life one day and marriage was her first proposition upon our first official meeting. She claims that she's loved me ever since we met ten years ago, but I don't see how a girl could be so hooked onto a guy who she hasn't seen for that long of a time. Geez, I guess it can't be helped…

"Where's my father?" I raised an eyebrow to the men as they continued to gaze at me.

"Ah, Raku…" the weary, scratchy voice of my father sounded through my ears. I turned towards the source of the voice and found him standing atop the balcony, in front of a sliding door that led to his room of the building. Next to him stood Ryū, one of the most active members of the Shūei Clan.

"Bocchan, great job on the performance!" Ryū shouted towards me.

"Bocchan, you were magnificent!" one Shūei member called out.

"Stellar performance, Bocchan!" another voice yelled.

One by one the daily compliments I received from these gangsters reigned down upon me. Soon voice after voice lapped over one another, only to cease once my father cleared his throat.

"Raku, please come over here. There's something I would like to show you."

"Alright…" I nodded my head towards him before I began walking past the yakuza gangsters who sat on the floor. I could feel their eyes land heavily on me as I strode by. Their voices letting out small moans of astonishment sent annoyed vibes to my brain.

"Come, come," my father motioned towards the door behind him and Ryū slid it open. I followed after them and entered the room, hearing Ryū shut the door behind me. He walked over to my father and stood by his side as my father brought himself down to his knees and sat on the floor.

"What's this about, old man?" I asked him.

"Raku, you must've noticed that Ryū's been absent recently, huh?" my father asked me. I shrugged and batted my eyes towards the two men.

"I didn't even know he was gone," I answered him.

_Not like I'd pay any attention to them at all. It's their faults that I'm stuck in a fake relationship with that gorilla… but I'm kind of starting to get used to it. I mean, lately I haven't been regretting that I'm in a fake relationship with Chitoge, but I still have these feelings about Onodera._

_Onodera… man, oh man… _

"Oh, I'm sure you must have been quite busy, Bocchan…" Ryū said as he slumped down in a visible sadness. "A person of your stature must have a filled schedule…"

"Hmm?" I raised an eyebrow. "Um… not really. I just didn't notice that you were gone, is all."

"Eck!" Ryū whimpered as he sank to the ground, smoke arising from his head.

"Now, now. Raku, while Ryū's been absent, he's been at hard work training a new member of the Shūei Clan. This boy's capabilities will prove to be the best of the best."

"That's right, boss," Ryū nodded confidently, a little huff escaping his mouth.

"I don't see any reason why I have to be notified about this…" I deadpanned. "It's not as if it's of utmost importance that I know about this…"

"Oh, it is…" my father deviously grinned. "Ryū, please call our new friend."

"Got it, boss. Tarō!" Ryū called out to the shadows. "Get out here!"

Out of the shadows behind the two men emerged a boy, who was around my age and height. He donned a black business suit, with his black blazer unbuttoned, which revealed his entire black tie. He wore black gloves and a black mask covered his face, with only his golden-yellow eyes showing.

"This is Tarō, Raku," my father said to me as he gestured towards the masked boy. I raised an eyebrow at the old man as I stared at Tarō. "He's going to be your bodyguard."

"Wh-what…" I continued to blankly stare at Tarō, my mouth agape.

"Bocchan," Tarō bowed. "It's my pleasure to be of service to you. I will be at your beckoning call, Bocchan – anytime and anywhere."

"You've gotta be kidding me…" I cringed, feeling my eye twitch. A certain bodyguard for Chitoge entered my mind and I thought about her.

Seishirō Tsugumi – a member of the Bee Hive Gang and Chitoge's personal bodyguard. I can just imagine it now… the two of these bodyguards clashing at one another every second of each day, and all for nothing. Seishirō is quite protective of Chitoge and quite loyal to that gorilla, staying by her side.

My father's voice brought me back to reality.

"Tarō's been briefed about your relationship with Kirisaki-chan of the Bee Hive Gang and understands the situation," my father spoke up. "He's updated about everything related to your entire relationship with Kirisaki-chan."

"He is…?" I raised an eyebrow.

"That's right, Bocchan!" Ryū chuckled as he folded his arms over his chest. "I told him everything!"

"Bocchan… are you really a lovey-dovey couple?" Tarō asked me with questioning in his eyes.

_Apparently you didn't tell him everything. He's just as informed as another one of those gangsters. Damn you, old man!_

"Ye-yes!" I answered with a stutter. "Chitoge and I are quite the couple! She's my darling, of course!"

"Bocchan is just too awesome!" Ryū clenched his fists as his eyes sparkled with happiness.

"He really is! You're amazing, Bocchan!" Tarō mimicked the older man's appearance as his golden-yellow eyes lit up.

I let out a groan as I brought the palm of my hand to my forehead, a small slap to the head. I shook my head and grabbed my hair, letting out another groan. I looked towards my father and that devilish grin returned to his face. He winked towards me and I slapped my forehead once more.

_You have really got to be kidding me. Now I have another problem to add to my list… check._

"Bocchan, I also wanted to congratulate you for your performance today," Tarō said to me. "Although it was an obvious improvised performance, you did a spectacular job."

"Eh? So you watched it?" I asked him.

"Actually, Ryū here showed me the videotape of it," he motioned towards the older man, who nodded as he grinned.

"You guys actually filmed it…" I scowled.

"It wasn't something we could just sit back and watch, Bocchan," Ryū answered me. "What happened between you and Kirisaki-san today during your play is something we should cherish for as long as we can."

"We?"

I could feel that my dire situation with these three girls just escalated a thousand times more. I'm skeptical about the idea of having a bodyguard, but hey, I was like that when I first started 'dating' Chitoge. Hopefully this won't end as bad as I currently pictured it would.

* * *

**Engagement**

* * *

**Author's Notes**

**- **That's it for chapter one. I hope you all enjoyed this new story and I'll see you all in the next chapter! Later!


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Notes**

**- **Welcome back to _Engagement_!

* * *

**Engagement**

**Chapter 2 – A Needed Shove**

* * *

_Where is she?_

I looked at Chitoge's desk as I tapped the floor with my foot and my desk with my finger. I stared back at the clock and let out a sigh. Class would be starting soon and she still wasn't at school yet. The same applied with Seishirō, for she wasn't here as well.

_Geez, I thought we made up? Why isn't she here yet?_

"Raku-sama."

A polite and tender voice sounded behind me. I turned around and my blue eyes met with the orange eyes of my fiancé, Marika Tachibana. She smiled as she stood there, her hands behind her back.

"I see you're feeling better now," I grinned. "That's good to hear."

"Thank you for visiting me yesterday, Raku-sama," she continued to smile. "It was… very noble of you. Huh? Where's Kirisaki-chan? Did she finally give up…? Are we finally going to get married, Raku-sama!?"

"Wh-what! N-no, no… Chitoge is… she's not here yet…" I waved my hands in the air. "Please don't get the wrong idea…"

"Aw… that's too bad, Raku-sama…" she whimpered. "Remember, once Kirisaki-chan is out of the picture… I'll be right by your side, okay?"

"Ri-right…" I nodded. With that, Marika turned around and walked away from me. As soon as she was gone, a hand fell upon my shoulder.

"Yo, Raku."

"Oh, Shū," I turned towards my bespectacled friend and raised an eyebrow towards him. "What's going on?"

Shū Maiko, a perverted idiot who's been my friend since kindergarten. He was one of the first to deduce that Chitoge and I weren't an actual couple. Since then, he's been helping me get with Onodera, my current crush.

"Apparently we have another transfer student to our class," he said to me in a teasing tone. "It's going to be another 'pretty boy', just like when Seishirō-chan first showed up."

"Just how do you know about this stuff?" I sighed.

"Hopefully this one turns out to be another girl," he grinned before he nudged me. "If you know what I mean, Raku."

"I have no idea what you mean…" I blankly stared at him.

"You know… with Chitoge-chan, Kosaki-chan, and Marika-chan…" he grinned once more. "Namely, Kosaki-chan…"

"Huh?" I blinked.

"Man, oh, man, Raku…" he wrapped his arm around me and gazed off into the distance. "What could've happened between you and Kosaki-chan turned into something between you and Chitoge-chan… what luck!"

"Where are you going with this?" I asked him

"Maybe it's a sign that you were supposed to end up with Chitoge-chan from the start," he grinned. "Fate has you two paired up together! This could be bad for you and Kosaki-chan though… and don't get me started on Marika-chan."

"Will you get out of here?" I deadpanned.

"Maiko-kun, get over here," the monotonic voice of Ruri Miyamoto called out to Shū. He turned towards the source and happily skipped over towards it, leaving me behind to watch him.

I glanced back and found Onodera in a conversation with Ruri Miyamoto, a fellow classmate and Onodera's best friend from junior high. Onodera stopped and looked towards me, a small smile appearing on her face. I could feel my face heat up as I stared back.

_If only last night didn't end…_

I remember taking her out after the play and we did our own little performance of Romeo and Juliet.

"Good morning, darling…" a sleepy voice said to me. I turned around and found Chitoge walking through the door, her face filled with exhaustion as visible gray bags were under her eyes. Seishirō followed in behind the blonde and walked over to her desk, but not before shooting me a glance.

"O-oh, good morning," I nodded towards Chitoge as she wiped her eyes with her hands. She took her seat next to me and yawned. "Tired, huh?"

"After I got home last night, I barely got any sleep…" she said as she smacked her lips together. "I ended up getting only 3 hours before I had to wake up for school."

"Eh? Why?" I raised an eyebrow towards her.

"I don't know, but I guess it has something to do with what happened yesterday…" she muttered as she folded her arms over her chest. As she realized what she just said, she opened her eyes and a light blush formed on her face. "Eh!? I mean… when I get home, Claude and the others were pestering me about the performance…"

"I see…" I lightly tapped my chin with my left index finger. "Yeah, me too… in fact, they even videotaped the entire play. Talk about embarrassing, right?"

"Ye-yeah…" she looked down. "I-I… yeah…"

"What's wrong?"

"What if it's something I wanted to remember?" she pursed her lips.

"Eh?" I was taken aback and leaned back in my seat. "O-oh… I'm sorry…"

"Sorry for what?" she raised an eyebrow towards me. "It's really, really embarrassing. My guys videotaped it too! They even played it on the big screen TV in the family room… geez, those bastards… they have no boundaries…"

"Speaking of them…" I looked out the window and found Claude, Chitoge's old personal bodyguard – who he passed the position down to Seishirō, perched on a tree branch, binoculars in his hands. "It's been a while since Four Eyes has been there…"

"At least you don't have to see him every single day like I have to…" Chitoge blew air out of her mouth.

The classroom silenced as Kyōko-sensei walked into the room. She clapped her hands together and smiled.

"Class, I'm sorry to be telling you this so late, but today we have a new transfer student joining us," Kyōko-sensei said as she stood in front of the classroom. She motioned for the door and ushered for whoever stood on the other side to walk in. "Come on in now."

Through the door emerged a boy clad in a black business suit. His golden-yellow eyes and black mask made my jaw drop all the way to the floor. I slowly lifted my finger up and pointed towards him, a single word not able to escape from my mouth.

"Hello, everyone," he nodded. "I'm Tarō and I'll be your new classmate starting today. It's a pleasure to meet you all and I hope we can be on equal terms."

_EH!? What the hell is this idiot doing here!? No, don't tell me…_

Tarō shifted his gaze around the room and scanned each of the student's faces. I could hear whispers about him surface and how he was all 'mysterious'. As he continued looking around the classroom, his golden-yellow eyes found me and he stared deep into my eyes before a look of excitement appeared on him.

"Bocchan!" Tarō yelled out as he stood in front of the classroom. He ran up to my desk and bowed, drawing the attention of the class to me.

"Eh? 'Bocchan'?" Chitoge asked as she stared at the masked boy. Tarō turned towards Chitoge and his eyes widened.

"Kirisaki-san! You're Bocchan's girlfriend!" he shouted. "I'm Tarō, Bocchan's body–hmph!"

I looked up at Tarō and found him silenced by Seishirō, who had her hand over his mouth. She leaned in towards his ear and whispered.

"What makes you think you can get so familiar with Ojō?" she sternly asked. "I should kill you right here, right now, for disrespecting her in such a way."

"Eh? Bocchan, who is this guy?" Tarō asked as Seishirō took her hand off his mouth. "Why's he so angry?"

"'He'…?" Seishirō repeated.

"Uh… er… Tarō… Tsugumi is a girl…" I said to him, scratching the back of my head. "She's Chitoge's bodyguard from the Bee Hive Gang…"

"Oh…" Tarō nodded as he turned his head towards Seishirō.

"Don't worry, Tarō-kun…" Chitoge said as she let out a yawn. She waved it off and smacked her lips together, turning towards my bodyguard. "Everyone confuses her with one upon their first meeting with Tsugumi."

"I still have no idea why people confuse me with one…" Seishirō blankly said. She looked up towards her head and pointed at the blue ribbon. "When Ojō gave me this, I thought it made clear that I was a girl."

"Maybe you have to lose the suit, Seishirō-chan…" Shū spoke up. "And slip into something more revealing…"

"What did you say to me, you pest!?" Seishirō angrily shouted towards him. Shū retreated to his seat as Seishirō continued glaring at him.

"Tsugumi-san," Kyōko-sensei tapped her desk with a pencil. "Please return to your seat. Tarō-kun, I still haven't found a seat for you, so for now you'll be sitting next to Tsugumi-san."

"Eh!? But, sensei, why would you have him sit next to me!" Seishirō answered back to Kyōko-sensei, who shrugged in return.

"Even after what you witnessed…" Tarō sighed as Seishirō released him.

_Sensei… you're not very good at your job, are you?_

As Seishirō, followed by Tarō, walked to the back of the room and slumped down in their seats, I turned towards Chitoge as she tapped my shoulder. I found the blonde staring me down.

"So… you have one now too, huh?" Chitoge asked me. "A bodyguard, I mean."

"I thought Tsugumi was a hitwoman of the Bee Hive Gang," I said in a manner that made it sound like a question.

"I like to consider her a bodyguard," Chitoge said as she gripped onto her stomach. "Especially with how she acts, with the whole 'protect Ojō' kind of thing. It's the same thing for you and that new guy. He's from the Shūei Clan, huh?"

"Then, yeah…" I groaned. "Apparently he's been training in the mountains and he's supposed to be the best of the best. Geez, I still don't see why I need to have one."

"I heard there are new gangs in the city, that's why," Chitoge said as she let out another yawn, lightly patting her lips with her hand. "Then again, it's probably something not that important. You've probably reached that point in your life."

"Point? Huh?" I raised an eyebrow towards her.

"Bocchan!" Tarō called to me. I turned around and found him waving towards me. I scowled and glared at him. "Hi!"

"If you keep staring at Ojō, I'll break your neck," I heard Seishirō say to Tarō. "She doesn't deserve your attention, nor does Raku Ichijō."

"How dare you speak of Bocchan in such a manner!" I turned around and saw Tarō's eyes light up with flames. "I should cut your head off for doing so!"

"You… challenge me?" Seishirō shot him a dirty look. I exchanged looks with Chitoge before the two of us turned back to our respected bodyguards.

"Will you two cut it out?" I sighed. "Tarō, you know better than this. I think."

"Yeah, Tsugumi. I thought I told you to act more like a girl?" Chitoge raised an eyebrow.

"Bocchan, she started it!" Tarō pointed to her.

"What!?" Seishirō shouted before she pointed back to Tarō. "Ojō, he started it!"

"Harlot," Tarō folded his arms over his chest and looked away. Seishirō turned towards him and clenched her fists. Her crimson-red eyes were filled with anger as she pulled out a pistol from her navy-blue blazer. "Eh?" he turned towards the barrel of the gun.

"What… what did you just call me?" Seishirō asked, a devilish grin upon her face as she clenched the pistol in her hands, her grip tightening. Tarō suddenly stood up from his seat and raised his right arm to the ceiling.

"Ryū!" Tarō yelled. "I call upon the great weapon of the Shūei Clan! Please give me arms!"

As soon as he said that, out of the open window came a sheathed katana. I looked out the window and found Ryū, jumping by as he threw up a peace sign. The katana sailed into Tarō's gloved hands and he unsheathed it, revealing a long metallic blade. He stared back at Seishirō and bowed towards her.

Tarō quickly ran out of the room and Seishirō gritted her teeth, pulling out more of her hidden weapons from her blazer.

_Seriously… where does she get these weapons from?_

"GET BACK HERE, YOU BASTARD!" she shouted before she began to chase after Tarō. I could hear their footsteps running down the hallway as gunshots popped echoed through the building. Their departure left the classroom silent as they watched the two of them.

"Just… what the heck was that?" I asked myself as I looked at the door, the sounds of gunfire and footsteps fading away down the hallway.

"So, Kyōko-sensei, how's your boyfriend?" Marika asked as she called towards the older woman. Other voices piled in about Kyōko-sensei and her boyfriend and I slumped down in my desk, letting out a sigh.

_Then again… we barely learn anything here…_

**ニセコイ**

"Ichijō-kun," Onodera's sweet and gentle voice said to me. I had to take it in a little before I turned around to face the brunette. Once I did so, I met a warm smile on her face.

"Onodera… hey…" I grinned.

"Ichijō-kun… we're going out to Mickey D's again today to hang out together, and then we'll be going to my family's sweets shop so we can have a… study session. I was wondering if you wanted to come with us?" Onodera pursed her lips, awaiting an answer from me.

I gulped, feeling beads of sweat roll down my face.

_No way… Onodera's asking me out… just play it cool, Raku. Just answer her question like any normal person would and you'll be on a date with Onodera!... even if the others are tagging along…_

"I love you, Onodera!" I shouted. I soon realized my error and felt my face heat up, the blood rushing to my cheeks. I shook my head and frantically waved my hands. "I-I mean… I'd love to, Onodera! Ahaha! My bad, my tongue got twisted around."

I looked at Onodera as she was frozen in front of me, her face covered with a deepened blush.

"F-fr-from English cl-class, ri-right?" she asked me.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" I blankly asked.

"You-your… your tongue being… twisted around…"

"Oh! Ye-yeah! That's right! Hehe, English class, yeah! That's why I… I accidentally said that… right now… and…" I sighed. "Yeah…"

"But… you're going to come with us, Ichijō-kun?"

"I… uh… I don't see why not

"Hey there, Bocchan!" a voice shouted out.

"GET BACK HERE, YOU FILTHY BASTARD!? COME ON, SAY IT AGAIN TO MY FACE!" I heard another voice shout. Once I heard that, the sounds of gunshots and running footsteps grew louder. In a split second, a black shadow zoomed by, followed by a blue shadow that spurted out yellow lights every second.

"Are they coming too?" I asked, pointing towards the shadows.

"Once Tsugumi-san circles around once more, I will," Onodera smiled. "It seems like you know Tarō-kun, so would you like for me to invite him as well?"

"He'll just end up following after us…" I waved his invite off.

"Alright then, Ichijō-kun," Onodera nodded. "So, where's Chitoge-chan at?"

"She wasn't feeling too well, so she went to the nurses' office," I said to her. "She ended up being sent home to get some rest."

"I see… so that just means that it will be you, me, Maiko-kun, Tsugumi-san, and Ruri," Onodera lightly tapped her chin with her finger. "Tachibana-san won't be going and Tarō-kun will invite himself…"

"Eh? What about Tachibana-san?" I raised an eyebrow.

"I invited her, but it seems that she had something to do after school, but she said she'll be sure to come the next time we go out," she answered me.

"Oh…" I looked down at the ground.

_Thinking about it now… it will just be me and Onodera without Chitoge and Tachibana-san getting in the way… this is fate…_

I looked up at Onodera and saw the sweet, warm smile on her face.

_Yes, yes… this is fate. I'm sure of it. _

"So, I'll see you after school then, Ichijō-kun?" she asked me, bringing me back to reality.

"Ye-yeah…" I nodded. "I'll see you then."

As we walked away from each other, I clenched my fists and smiled.

_Oh, man! This is going to be awesome! Onodera asked me out! Don't mess this up, Raku… Pfft! Like I'd mess up this chance to be with Onodera. Clearly it's a sign. But what I said to her earlier… I wonder if Onodera really knew what I said…_

I felt my heart pound in my chest and I let out a sigh.

**ニセコイ**

I glanced over to Onodera as we walked down the street towards Mickey D's. Walking with us was Ruri and Shū, with Seishirō following closely behind.

"Thanks for inviting me, Onodera," I said to the brunette, nodding my thanks.

"I-it's… it's not that big of a deal, Ichijō-kun…"

"You see him too, right?" Seishirō let out a sigh as I found her folding her arms over her chest as we walked. I found Tarō hiding behind a light post on the other side of the street, gazing at us from behind his hiding place.

"Who doesn't see him?" Ruri said in her monotonic voice. "He isn't exactly blending in with his surroundings."

"I can't believe you came, Seishirō-chan," Shū said to the blue-haired girl. "Usually you would only come if Chitoge-chan was here, but she isn't."

"Ojō insisted that I tag along…" she said. "Apparently she doesn't need me by her side and that she needs to get some rest."

"Do you happen to know why Chitoge was sent home, Tsugumi?" I asked her. "I know that she was sent home, but I don't know why."

"Ojō began talking about a stomachache shortly after lunch and Kyōko-sensei sent her to the nurses' office, with me accompanying Ojō. Soon after, Claude came by and picked Ojō up, taking her home for the day," she nodded. "But before that, Ojō ordered me to come along with you for the day, rather than be by her side at the mansion."

"Then that means that Four Eyes isn't here…" I muttered, rubbing my chin with my hand. I heard someone clear their throat and turned towards the source, finding Ruri to be the culprit. She exchanged looks with Shū and the latter nodded enthusiastically.

"Push…" Ruri blankly said as she shoved Onodera. My eyes widened and I reached out for her, taking Onodera by the hand and wrapping my arm around her back. Before I knew it, my face met hers and we were inches apart from another.

"O-Onodera…" I felt my lips move closer to Onodera and soon our foreheads touched. I could hear her heavy breathing and I'm sure she heard mine as well.

"Ichijō-kun…" she whispered.

At that moment, my brain ceased to function and I was stuck there – tightly holding Onodera as we were inches apart from doing the unthinkable. As I leaned in, I felt a hand weigh down on my shoulder. I was brought back to reality and I glanced over my shoulder, finding an enraged Seishirō.

"Raku Ichijō… what do you think you're doing?" she asked, her eyes beaming with anger. "You're dating Ojō and you're this close with another girl? Don't tell me you're a two-timer…"

I turned back towards Onodera and found her blushing, clearly embarrassed by our altercation. She quickly slipped out of my hands and she rushed over to Ruri, standing next to the petite girl as she avoided my eyes, looking away.

"Bocchan! Are you alright!?" someone yelled, who I found to be Tarō. He suddenly appeared next to me, panting and his eyes filled with worry.

"I'm fine, Tarō…" I said as I waved him away. "You can return to the house now."

"Right away, Bocchan!" he shouted as he bowed towards me. I watched as he ran over to the light post he was at earlier and hid behind it, popping his head out to keep an eye on me.

"Seishirō-chan! They were about to kiss, come on!" Ruri folded her arms over her chest and let out a sigh. "We'll have to go back to the drawing board now."

"Why would I let them kiss if he's in a relationship with Ojō!?" Seishirō yelled.

"Eh? But they're not," Shū plainly said. My eyes widened and I spit out the invisible drink out of my mouth.

"WHAT!?" Seishirō and I screamed in unison. She turned towards me and her eyes were filled with confused anger.

"Really? You didn't know that?" Ruri scoffed. "Their whole relationship has been a not-so elaborate ruse. Even Maiko-kun here was the first one to figure that out."

"Right, right!" Shū pointed to himself.

"What?" Seishirō blankly asked, her face full of confusion as she quizzically tilted her head to the side.

"Seishirō-chan, you didn't know about the fake relationship between Chitoge-chan and Raku?" Shū asked her.

"Of course she doesn't, moron!" I shouted, clenching my hands into fists. "She's a member of the Bee Hive Gang! If she finds out, she'll spill it to them and boom, we have a war-torn city!"

"You're not…you're not dating Ojō?"

"To put on an image, we are… but other than that – nope…" I slouched over and groaned.

"Let me get this straight…" she narrowed her eyes down. "This whole time, you and Ojō have been faking your entire relationship…"

I nodded. "Ye-yeah…"

"All I want to know is… why?"

"To stop a war that would happen between the Bee Hive Gang and the Shūei Clan…" I answered her. "It's not like it was our idea to start 'dating', but… it was our father's."

"But why?"

"The lower members of each gang… like Claude and Tarō, for example… when the Bee Hive Gang first arrived to the city, war instantly sparked between the Shūei Clan and the Bee Hive," I continued. "To put an end to an uncontrollable members of each gang, they all answered to one thing and one thing only – the 'relationship' between me and Chitoge…"

"If you and Ojō aren't really dating…" Seishirō looked around. "Then who do you like?"

I felt myself tense up and I gulped. I turned toward Ruri and Onodera, before moving my gaze towards Shū, who I could see clapping along. I felt anger surge through my veins, trying my best not to hurt him at this moment.

"That isn't the matter now…" I said to Seishirō, while keeping my glance over towards Onodera, who still had a deep blush on her face. "Let's just go to Mickey D's, huh?"

"You've never had any real feelings for Ojō…" she scowled. "You would've just broken her heart, you bastard."

"Tsugumi… it isn't like that…" I held my hands up defensively.

"Just spill it, Raku Ichijō..." he narrowed her eyes down, a light blush forming on her face. "Who do you like?"

"It's finally going to happen…" Shū loudly whispered, his voice filled with glee.

_Who do you like, Raku? There's no way out of this and I doubt that something spontaneous will happen that will get you out of this situation. This is the push you need to confess, even if other people are around. _

I glanced over towards Ruri and Onodera and felt my mouth open. I gulped and beads of sweat rolled down my face. My heart pounded within me and for a second, time froze in place. I was brought back to reality by the sound of my beating heart and shook my head, clenching my hands into fists.

"I like…"

The desperation on the faces of everyone else increased as they continued eyeing me. I let out a deep sigh before the words just slipped out of my mouth.

"Onodera."

* * *

**Engagement**

* * *

**Author's Notes**

**- **Wahoo! That's it for Chapter 2, but don't worry, this isn't the end. We still have a _long _way to go before the end of this story. Anyways, I don't want to take up your time, so I'll see you all in the next chapter! Bye-bye!


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